Browns No Longer Committed to Sucking; Thoughts on Rashard Mendenhall

The ceremonial fireworks of the opening weeks of free agency have finally started dying down and there’s a lot of dust to clear through. A few teams have made some big strides, immediately raising their hopes for 2008 with key acquisitions and retainers. I’m pretty sure we can all agree that the Browns are probably the poster child for this offseason. On the heels of a ten-win season in which they were unfortunately robbed of a playoff spot, the team too good for a logo had much to look forward to – rising young talent in Edwards (who finally learned how to catch short passes over the middle) and Winslow (who finally realized it wasn’t a good idea to pop wheelies on your bike in May), a terrific offensive line with a young left tackle quickly making a name for himself, a defense that could only really improve. Now, they’ve set themselves up for great success by bringing in talent on both sides of the ball. Re-signing Anderson was a must in my opinion, and the Browns will be all the happier seeing him rather than future franchise QB Quinn trying to direct the offense. Giving Quinn more time as a spectator will aid the transition from college and help him adjust for when he eventually makes his debut. Sure, some would argue that Quinn deserves his shot now, but no one can say that the extra time won’t hurt – two years on the bench is the most valued experience for a fresh QB. With Anderson, even if he does prove to be nothing more than a flash in the pan (as we might suspect from the closing weeks of last season), Quinn is waiting in the ranks. The Browns’ offense also became much more explosive with the addition of Stallworth, a legit speedster who seems to be on a new team each season. The Saints, Eagles, Pats -- can’t we get some consistency? Millions of fantasy owners don’t want to gamble on you each year! We like sure things! (Ironic side note: There are no sure things in fantasy football.)

Defensively, bringing in a force like Shaun Rogers to anchor your 3-4 has to be exciting. This guy’s huge, a monster. Last year, he completely dismantled the Bears line and vanquished any semblance of a running game we had (or, for that matter, thought we had). Thank you for taking this guy out of the NFC North! Now all we have to worry about is Adrian Peterson. The Dog Pound also landed Corey Williams who’ll provide immediate dividends with his interior pass rush. More importantly, the Browns now have depth, and lots of it. Unfortunately, they don’t have a single pick in the first three rounds of the draft, but who needs them? Phil Savage wants to win now.

And now for something completely different:

•    Bryant Johnson signed a one-year deal with the 49ers. So much for those talks about bringing him to Chicago. It seems we were never really that into Johnson, and after landing Booker and Lloyd, there was definitely little to no chance we would pursue him. Looks like D.J. Hackett is the only receiver of any consequence left. According to various sources, the reason Hackett’s been available for this long is because his agent is having trouble negotiating a deal to guarantee at least one injury per year.
•    If you’ve been reading any mock drafts lately, you’ll notice Rashard Mendenhall as a trendy choice for the Bears’ first round pick. Given the current state of our atrocious backfield, and coupled with the fact that we have done nothing to amend the situation via free agency, I think Mendenhall would be a great option at #14. At 5’10”, 225, he’s very similar in size to 5’11”, 220 Benson, but Mendenhall has shown impressive speed and burst (remember that 79-yard run he had in the Rose Bowl against that great Trojan D?), clocking a 4.41 40 and recording twenty-six reps in the 225-pound bench press. I bet Benson couldn’t even do twenty! He’s also incredibly versatile – thirty-four receptions for 318 yards last year, second on the Illini – and would open up the offense even more. The livelihood of The Grossman/Orton Duo will be entirely dependent upon whether or not they can work those outlets and dump offs for short gain; Mendenhall could provide immediate impact in this area. Do yourself a favor and check out this video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=27cxAs7mGSs) of him against Wisconsin where he racked up 160 yards and two TDs on nineteen carries. Also, as with Lloyd, Turner was the one who recruited Mendenhall and would absolutely love to have him. And the rest: Standing 5’10”, 210, Peterson would most likely be relegated to specific situations (two-minute drills, passing downs). He’s still a very necessary part of our special teams, though, and will continue to provide in that capacity. Wolfe (5’7”, 186) will take some time to establish himself, but, rest assured, I’ve seen this guy play firsthand and know he’s a beast. Just give him some time.
•    East Carolina’s Chris Johnson has been getting some buzz by the Bears camp, too, with similar attributes of speed and explosiveness. Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com has also expressed admiration for Georgia Tech’s Tashard Choice as a possible second- or third-round pick.
•    And did I mention Mendenhall’s a local product from Niles West? After McNabb’s spat with the Eagles simmered, the idea of landing a true Chicagoan in the backfield is incredibly inspiring. It would give it some character and toughness -- those are intangibles we need.